German published application 35 39 526 discloses an inked ribbon cartridge for an image recording means fashioned as a thermo transfer printer operating in parallel, whereby a line-shaped recording head is arranged inside a printer housing. The inked ribbon cartridge that can be introduced into the printer housing through a lateral opening in the direction along the recording head contains a printing roller and an inked ribbon on two winding reels parallel to the axis of the printing roller in a cassette housing. Since the printing roller and the winding reels are integral component parts of the inked ribbon cartridge, the cassette housing and the printing roller must automatically be replaced every time the inked ribbon is changed.
Co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/209,892, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein, teaches an inked ribbon cartridge wherein the winding reels for the inked ribbon are held in two bearing members. The winding reels are connected to form a replaceable unit that is introducible into the cassette housing, so that changing the ribbon does not necessarily require replacement of the entire inked ribbon cartridge, including the printing roller.